Brandon Lee
The West Bank is a territory that emerged after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which was occupied by Israel in 1967. The West Bank is a Palestinian territory that has been the centre of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While Israel has administered the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, as the Judea and Samaria Area, the Palestinians consider it to be the heart of their envisioned state. The Oslo Accords divided the West Bank into three regional levels of Palestinian sovereignty, with Area C being under full Israeli control. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal, and the ICJ has ruled that Israel's occupation of the West Bank is unlawful.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Current status | The West Bank is considered occupied Palestinian territory by 164 nations. However, Israel has occupied the territory since 1967 and administers it as the Judea and Samaria Area. |
| Historical context | The West Bank emerged after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and was annexed by Jordan until 1967. From 1920 to 1947, it was part of the British-mandated territory of Palestine, west of the Jordan River. |
| Population | The West Bank and Gaza Strip together are home to over 5 million Palestinians. There are also an estimated 465,400 Jewish Israelis residing in Israeli settlements in the West Bank as of 2021. |
| Israeli settlements | There are 127 recognized settlements in the West Bank, with 64 established for religious reasons and 63 for improved quality of life. |
| Palestinian sovereignty | The Oslo Accords divided the West Bank into three regional levels of Palestinian sovereignty: Area A (Palestinian National Authority), Area B (joint Israeli-Palestinian control), and Area C (full Israeli control). |
| International law | The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity. |
| Israeli-Palestinian conflict | The West Bank remains central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Palestinians considering it an integral part of their envisioned state. |
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What You'll Learn
The West Bank's history
The West Bank is an area of land west of the Jordan River. It is one of two Palestinian territories—the other being the Gaza Strip—that make up the State of Palestine. The West Bank is the larger of the two territories, covering around 2,185 square miles (5,660 square kilometres).
From 1517 to 1917, the area now known as the West Bank was under Turkish rule as part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1923, Turkey, as the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, renounced its territorial claims by signing the Treaty of Lausanne. The West Bank then became an integral part of the British Mandate for Palestine. During this time, Britain did not have the right of sovereignty, which was held by the people under the mandate. In 1947, the United Nations designated the West Bank as part of a proposed Arab state by the Partition Plan for Palestine. However, the Arab state envisioned by the UN never came into being.
Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the West Bank was captured by Transjordan (later Jordan), which formally annexed the territory in 1950. During the 1948 war, Israel occupied parts of what was designated in the UN partition plan as "Palestine". The 1949 Armistice Agreements defined the interim boundary between Israel and Jordan, reflecting the battlefield at the end of the war.
In 1967, the West Bank was occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War. Since then, Israel has administered the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem, which was effectively annexed by Israel in 1980) as the Judea and Samaria Area. The Oslo Accords in the mid-1990s split the West Bank into three regional levels of Palestinian sovereignty: Area A (under the Palestinian National Authority), Area B (under joint Israeli-Palestinian military and Palestinian civil control), and Area C (under full Israeli control).
The West Bank remains central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians consider it an integral part of their envisioned state, along with the Gaza Strip. Right-wing and ideological Israelis, on the other hand, see it as their ancestral homeland with numerous biblical sites.
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Israeli settlements
The West Bank is a territory that emerged in the wake of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It was occupied and annexed by Jordan until 1967, when it was occupied by Israel. Since then, Israel has administered the West Bank as the Judea and Samaria Area, excluding East Jerusalem.
The establishment of these settlements is driven by the desire to solidify Israel's control over the territory and ensure its political future aligns with the country's security needs. A civilian settler population can also act as a first line of defense against invasion. The placement of Israeli civilians in strategic regions of the West Bank is influenced by the notion of creating a Jewish majority in these areas to prevent the formation of a Palestinian state.
The international community, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ), considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal under international law. The ICJ ruled in 2004 and again in 2024 that Israel's occupation of the West Bank is unlawful and that the country has an obligation to cease settlement activities and evacuate settlers from occupied territories. The expansion of settlements often results in the confiscation of Palestinian land, leading to the displacement of Palestinian communities.
Despite international opposition, the Israeli government continues to expand settlements in the West Bank. In May 2025, Israeli ministers announced the approval of 22 new Jewish settlements, marking the most significant expansion in decades. This move was described as a “dangerous escalation” by the Palestinian presidency, who accused Israel of attempting to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
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Palestinian displacement
The West Bank emerged as a region occupied and annexed by Jordan following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Jordan ruled the territory until the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel occupied it. The West Bank remains central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Palestinians considering it the heart of their envisioned state.
The Oslo Accords of the mid-1990s divided the West Bank into three areas of varying degrees of Palestinian and Israeli control: Area A, under Palestinian civil and security control; Area B, under joint Israeli-Palestinian military control and Palestinian civil control; and Area C, under full Israeli control. However, Israeli settlements in Area C, considered illegal under international law, have led to ongoing tensions and displacement.
The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip has also impacted the West Bank, with Israel's blockade and military assault on Gaza spilling over into the West Bank. Israeli military operations in the West Bank, including the use of airstrikes, armoured bulldozers, and advanced weaponry, have resulted in the mass displacement of Palestinians, with some experts characterizing these actions as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The permanent occupation of the West Bank by Israel has endangered the cultural existence of Palestinians and violated their right to self-determination. The international community's struggle to defend international law and protect civilians has amplified the risk of further atrocities and displacement. The mass displacement, coupled with extrajudicial executions, mass detentions, and enforced disappearances, has created a coercive environment that continues to impact the Palestinian population in the West Bank.
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Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords are a pair of interim agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The first accord, signed in Washington, D.C., in 1993, is known as the Oslo I Accord. The second, signed in Taba, Egypt, in 1995, is known as the Oslo II Accord.
The accords marked the start of the Oslo process, a peace process aimed at achieving a peace treaty based on Resolution 242 and Resolution 338 of the United Nations Security Council. The Oslo process began after secret negotiations in Oslo, Norway, resulting in the recognition of Israel by the PLO, and the recognition by Israel of the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people and as a partner in bilateral negotiations.
The stated goals of the Oslo Accords included Palestinian interim Self-Government and a permanent settlement of unresolved issues within five years. The accords also led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority, which was tasked with conducting limited Palestinian self-governance over parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The Oslo Accords did not create a definite Palestinian state, and they were opposed by a large portion of the Palestinian population, including various Palestinian militant groups. The peace process was strained by several events, including the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a right-wing Israeli extremist in 1995.
The Oslo Accords were based on the 1978 Camp David Accords, which envisioned autonomy for the local inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza. The Oslo negotiations were a direct attempt to reach a peace treaty between Israel and the PLO.
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Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The West Bank is a territory that emerged after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It was occupied and annexed by Jordan until the 1967 Six-Day War, when it was occupied by Israel. The West Bank remains a central issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Palestinians consider the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip, to be the heart of their envisioned state. The Oslo Accords of the mid-1990s divided the West Bank into three areas of Palestinian sovereignty: Area A (Palestinian National Authority or PNA), Area B (joint PNA and Israeli control), and Area C (full Israeli control). While the PNA has some form of control over 165 Palestinian enclaves across these areas, Israel still administers the West Bank and controls all access to it.
The international community, including the United Nations (UN), considers the West Bank to be illegally occupied by Israel. The UN has determined that Israel has imposed a system of racial oppression and discrimination that amounts to apartheid, a crime against humanity. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli government officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israel, on the other hand, considers the West Bank to be a region of strategic importance, with biblical significance, and essential for its security needs. Right-wing and ideological Israelis see the West Bank as their ancestral homeland and push for its annexation. Israel has placed Israeli civilians in certain areas of the West Bank to solidify its control and ensure the territory's political future aligns with its security priorities. This has disrupted the contiguity of Palestinian communities, making it difficult to establish a viable Palestinian state.
The conflict over the West Bank has resulted in mass displacement of Palestinians, violence, and restrictions on their access to resources and movement. Israeli policies have distorted trade relations, with the West Bank heavily dependent on Israel for imports. The situation in the West Bank has been characterised by human rights abuses, including extrajudicial executions, mass detentions, enforced disappearances, and restrictions on residency permits for Palestinians.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the West Bank is not a part of Israel. It is a Palestinian territory that has been occupied by Israel since 1967.
The West Bank was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1517 to 1917. After the empire's collapse, the area became an integral part of the British Mandate for Palestine. In 1947, the United Nations designated the West Bank as part of a proposed Arab state in the Partition Plan for Palestine. However, following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the area was captured by Transjordan (later Jordan) and formally annexed in 1950. Jordan ruled the West Bank until the 1967 Six-Day War, when it was occupied by Israel.
The West Bank is currently administered by Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Israel controls access to the West Bank, and Palestinians living there are subject to Israeli restrictions and military occupation. The Palestinian Authority officially controls about 11% of the West Bank (Area A) and shares control with Israel over about 28% (Area B). The remaining 60%-61% (Area C) is under full Israeli control and contains Israeli settlements, considered illegal under international law.
The future of the West Bank remains uncertain and is a central issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians consider it an integral part of their envisioned state, while some Israelis push for partial or complete annexation. International efforts have focused on promoting peace and statehood for the West Bank, with the United States recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital but refraining from taking a position on final-status issues.
